great range user options smart cord hard carrying case very visible readout with dim options nice apperance

none

This is a great detector. It has awesome range and filters out false signals very well. Areas that would make my old detectors go crazy don't even phase the 8500. I still do however get an occasional false X-band signal, but not enough to be at all upset about. There are many options on the detector. The readout can be seen well in day or at night. I highly recommend the 8500 to anybody.

Ka Band-excellent detection K Band-excellent detection X Band-not in use Laser-never have had encounter with laser Sound level is pretty good Appearance is very modern A lot of options-I haven't tried them yet though, I'm just learning how it works first. Easy mounting-fits perfectly on any windshield Easy to remove as well I like the mute button on the smart cord

none really The cord doesn't bother me at all Laser?? Ive never had an encounter with it, I want to see how the 8500 detects it and if it gives an early warning or lets you know when you've been got.

I go to college at University of Ark and go home occasionally to Searcy, which is interstate just about the entire way. This is the first radar detector I have ever owned, and I did a lot of research before I bought this model. Valentine One was the other model I looked at but its old and Car and Driver does say its the best but they are sponsered by V1 and obviously thats a biased report. On Escorts website, it has about 8-10 different magazine reports on it and they all seem to be unbiased. I also researched it on forums and other websites and Escort proves to be the best. So I bought the Escort and so far its been great. I went to Dallas(went through Oklahoma and their speed traps) and it picked up instant on K band from over a mile or more away. Which is pretty good I think. Also going home on weekends, its good at detecting KA band, which is the only radar used on Arkansas's highways. The sound level is pretty loud, it could stand to be a little louder but I can usually hear it over my blaring radio. X band I turned off b/c its not in use anywhere, except supermarket doors. This also allows it to scan the other bands faster. I have never used V1 or know anyone that has. So I can't say that its not as good as Escort. I have heard that the arrows can be inaccurate at times as well as the counter. I have seen one, however, and it looks like its 10 years old, the appearance sucks. This has saved me from many tickets. Haven't gotten one with it yet. I don't plan on it either.

Similar Products Used:

none

This is the best detector at any price and I would never even think about owning anything eles. It really dose work and I love it.

None from what I can see.

I have used both the Passport 8500 and the Valentine one and I can tell you that the 8500 dose blow away ANY VALENTINE ONE off the face of this earth. A friend of mying thought he was real smart when he told me that my 8500 was junk and that his Valentine was flat out better. Well I should him who had the better detector. We went for a little ride and we had been driving for what seemed forever and we where drving in are own cars and we both had Cell phones. Well My 8500 started to sound a K band alert and so I gave Tom a call on his Cell and asked him if his V1 was sounding a K band alert and he said no nothing at all. My friend Tom was about 4 miles ahead of me. So not thinking anything about it I just asumed that my 8500 was picking up some door alarm but that was not the case at all as my 8500 was still picking up that K band alert but this time it was getting closer to it as the 8500 went off like mad. So once again I called him back and asked him if his V1 was going off and he once again said no. Well it turns out that he saw a cop sitting on the other side of the highway and about a little less the a min latter his V1 started to sound a K band alert. So Tom called me back and tolded me about what he saw and I told him to pull over to the side of the road so we could make sure that the radar was coming from that cop and sure anuff it was cop coming from that same cop car. Well latter on that same day we ran into a KA band alert and once again my friend had to be at least 4 to 5 miles ahead of me and my 8500 souned off first once again. But this time his V1 did go off about a half of mile before he saw the cop. But my 8500 still was able to pick up kA way before his Valentine even started to go off. Well by the end of that day I sold my friend Tom on the 8500 and he said that he could not beleave how much better my 8500 was than his Valentine one. So He asked me if we could swap detectors for a week and I told him yes that would be fine. So I used his Valentine one and he used my 8500 and we both agree that the 8500 is flat out better in almost everyway. Toms V1 is the second I have used and it dose not do as good a job at finding radar and laser as the Passport 8500. I just wanted to let everyone on here know that the V1 is not compation for the Escort passport 8500 and seeing is beleaving.

Similar Products Used:

Two Valentine ones

Everything. If you want the best then this is the detector for you.

None so far.

First off let me tell you that regardless of what ANYONE on this site says the Passport 8500 is far better then the Valentine one is. Second I have only had the 8500 now for a little while and it has saved my BUTT so many times. The fact is that I used to own a Valentine one and I sold it after I got my two tickets with it one for speeding and the other one just for having a detector in my car. My coworker was on the same road as I was on the same day I got my tickets and his Passport 8500 picked up the same cop from at least 3 miles away. Oh sure my V1 did go off but not intell after the cop already had my speed looked in. I want to ask all the Valentine people a ?. How can not having arrows be a weakness?. I hate like hell when all the V1 happy people put down the 8500 for not having them. I mean come off of it. The arrows on the V1 sure did not save me from getting a ticket. And funny my coworkers 8500 did save him from not getting a ticket and lets see his 8500 dose not have arrows so all I have to say to that is what a joke. If you Valentine heads are going to put up a fight? then at least make it a good one. This is something that you people have not been good at all with. But do you know what is the most funny thing of all that is being said?. I have read so many reviews on both detectors and I also have been reading all the lastest test data on both the 8500 and the V1 and ALL the tests are being won by one detector and can you guess what detector has been winning ALL OF THEM? yes that is right the ESCORT PASSPORT 8500 NOT THE VALENTINE ONE. I did not forget about the Car and Driver test I just did not include it because C AND D,S testing in done by someone who works for Mike Valentine and so that is why I will not list ANY Car and Driver test in my review. But what is even more funny then that is that ever since the Passport 8500 came out the V1 has not won ANY TEST. All the tests that said that the V1 was better then anything eles in the past are now all saying that the 8500 is a flat out better detector. So its REAL SAVE TO SAY THAT THE PASSPORT 8500 HAS BEEN BLOWING AWAY THE VALENTINE ONE BECAUSE IT HAS. You know I have to say that I laugh when I here things like oh I did a side by side test and the V1 went off before the 8500 when in fact Mike Valentine himself has said that side by side testing JUST DOSE NOT WORK. And this is the only thing that I agree with Mike about. You will never have the same results when you do a side by side test because the detectors will pick them selfs up and this gives both detectors less feld of view. If you are going to test your detectors at least do it the right way. Put one detector in one car and the other in someone eleses car or take one detector at a time and run them thorw the same test. Oh I have to say one last thing. Dose everyone on here notice that when ever you here the V1 people send a review talking about how much better the Valentine one is then the 8500 they never talk about all the the detector testing. And I think everyone can guess why that is?.

Similar Products Used:

Valentine one.

Cheaper than valentine 1

Built cheaper than valentine 1 Not as good No arrows No bogey counter

I am a habitual speeder, therefore I use my radar detectors to their fullest ability. I own a 1999 model V1...now to upgrade or buy another model?? I decided to buy the escort and try it again (the first time was not so good, cordless model) First I will tell you that IF you are a inteligent reader you will disregard the childish statements that "the escort blows away the V1". Because they are close...but not equal. If you put them side by side (installed correctly use a bubble level to make sure they are level to ground VERY important) and make sure they are pointed straight ahead. If you drive around you will notice that the Valentine will pick things up before the Escort. Now they perform the same in laser (rarely used). I will admit though if you can get the escort for $225 it is a better bargain, But it is still not the best. So if you are a juvenile driving around in a riced out import with glowing lights and vibrating trunk...you more than likely care less about real performance...this is for you. BUT IF YOU REALLY SPEED A LOT...AND YOU STILL WANT THE BEST...BUY THE VALENTINE 1 !!

Similar Products Used:

uniden 555, cobra junk, old bell,

Picks up KA and K good. Never have had an encounter with laser.

Ive done alot of research and this was supposed to be the best one. So far it hasn't dissapointed me. When I drive to and from college on the interstate it helps me out alot.

Similar Products Used:

none

HIGH RANGE FOR DETECTION OF K BANDS, X BANDS, AND KA BANDS. DIFFERENT READOUTS, AND LOUD ENOUGH TO HEAR THROUGH MUSIC PASSPORT 8500..... # 1 FOR THE MONEY

NONE.....

THE PASSPORT IS A GREAT DETECTOR. I HAVE READ ALL OTHER TYPES OF REVIEWS. THE ONE REVIEW FOR THE PERSON WHO GOT CAUGHT WITH LASER IS AN IDOT. FIRST OF ALL, ALL OTHER BRANDS CANNOT DETECT LASER WITHOUT PURCAHSING ADD ON STUFF PASSPORT 8500 HAS UNIQUE RANGE OF K BAND, X BAND, AND EVEN KA BAND. IT USES HIGH FREQUENCY RANGE TO DETECT RADAR. IT HAS A FALSE READER DECTECTION AND CAN BE USED FOR EMS TRACKING AND ELECTROINIC DECTECTION. PASSPOR PROVED ITS JOB IN THE CONSUMER REPORT MAGAZINES. VALENTINE 1 IS TOO ESPENSIVE...... WHY PAY THE MONEY FOR EXTRA IF THE PASSPORT CAN DO THE JOB, EVEN SOMETIMES BETTER. DO YOUR RESEARCH, ESCORT HAS BETTER SYSTEMS, BUT THE PASSORT 8500 IS THE EASIEST TO HOOK UP AND USE...

Similar Products Used:

CAN'T IMAGIN, LOTS

This is probably a great detector, but it only comes with a coiled cord and windshield mount. After owning a Valentine 1 that comes with coiled and straight cord, windshield and visor mount, I'm spoiled. Because the Passport coiled cord is hardwired to the "smartcord" lighter plug you can't hide it. My car looks like a science project with this stupid cord across my console and dashboard! The Valentine 1 comes with a modular lighter plug allowing you to get any color or length flat phone cord and neatly tuck it away. Passport offers the flat cord as a $30 option. What were they thinking? I don't drive a rental car all the time!

Similar Products Used:

Valentine 1

This Detector dose everything right. Not having arrows is not a weakness I use my own two eyes for my radar locator. Iam going out soon to buy a laser shifter ZR3 for my 8500 to make my 8500 %99 accurate against laser.

None if you do your homework.

The Escort Passport 8500 is the best radar detector on the market and is by far better then the Valentine one. There has been alot of false info on the Net on both detectors and Iam here to clear some things up. First of all NO detector alone can save you from any laser that is in use today and that is a fact of life. %99 of the time if any detector gos off sounding laser then its already too late. The Valentine one would not have done any better at this. Second The Passport 8500 has been winning test after test after test. And yet there are some people still climing that the Valentine one is better and why do you ask? the reason why is because these are Valentine one owners that can not live with them selfs for the simple fact that they spent $100 more and got a detector that can't beat the Escort Passport 8500. Now lets talk about some more facts about both the V1 and the 8500. First off the V1 falses alot more then any other detector I have ever used but on the other hand my 8500 is so quite that sometimes I have to ask myself if it is working or not but everytime a cop is useing radar my 8500 gos off like mad. I have been picking up radar on my 8500 from well over 3 miles away. The 8500 won the over the hill test by a large # and the V1 finished dead last at finding radar over hills even some cheap Cobra detector did better at finding radar over hills then the Valentine one did. The 8500 has far better range on K and Ka bands then the Valentine one. The only thing that the V1 dose better the 8500 is picking up X band. But X band is only in use in two states and very soon will not be in use in ANY state. But wait you ask?. What about the Car and Driver test?. The person who dose C and D's detector testing works for Mike Valentine and that is why everytime C and D dose a detector test the Valentine wins. So I think its very funny that everytime I go to Valentines website that the only test Mike quotes is the Car and Driver test because its the only test the V1 wins. They call the Passport 8500 the WORLD'S BEST for a very good reason and thats because it is.

Similar Products Used:

To many to list

None, whatsoever...I am gonna be smart this time and spend the extra $$ for a Valentine One, which has been a proven detector by a majority of my friends.

Laser detection first off...and no, I am not about to spend another $500+ for the ZR3 Laser shifter when the 8500 doesn't even detect it.

Last night, I went to Best Buy and saw a Passport 8500 with an open box deal for $250. I jumped at it thinking it was gonna be an awesome purchase, but guess what? Less than 24 hours later, I get nabbed by the police with a laser gun. I know that laser is a very hard signal to detect, but the police was not but 300 yards away from me and my 8500 didn't even beep the whole time. I would feel better to have it go off even though I knew I got the ticket. But no signal, not a single beep. So thinking I saved $150 over a new Valentine One cost me this ticket. All of my buddies have Valentine Ones and they haven't had a ticket since, even with lots of laser guns in our area. Now, I will have to return the detector at Best Buy (hopefully they won't charge the 15% restocking fee or then I will be uber pissed) and order the Valentine One and be short $150+ (for the stupid ticket).... ...and the sad thing was, I was only trying to pass a Chevrolet Corsica in a passing lane going 66 on a 45 mph zone...

Similar Products Used:

Beltronics 940, Beltronics Express, Valentine One